


Undaunted

by hypegirl (orphan_account)



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: Alternate Universe - Divergent Fusion, Bad impulse control, Character Death, ChenJi, Divergent AU, Dystopia, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, How Do I Tag, I see, Inspired by Divergent, Light Angst, M/M, Shyness, a wee bit of the following:, abnegation, ah fuck i nearly forgot ten, amity, candor, dA VISION, dauntless, erudite, except yangyang, i didn’t proofread this, im forgetting a lot, im sorry, it gets better the further you get, luwoo if you squint really really hard, mark and johnny and lucas are bros, markhyuck, maybe some love uwu, nomin, stan nct, taeten too if you squint, taeyong is a lot scarier here than he is irl, that shit hurted, there’s some blood, wow y’all bitches really don’t wanna leave kudos huh, yall best watch yourselves, yangyang is low key psychic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-11-07 14:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20819141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/hypegirl
Summary: The Divergent x NCT AU that no one really wanted. The first one on this whole damn website.Mark Lee, born Candor, discovers a new side of the world he thought he knew.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! uhhh i wrote this on a whim and there’s no regular update schedule.. but i hope y’all enjoy..? it’s kinda weird i know but.. here. rEaD.
> 
> P.S. some good songs to listen to while reading this: blood // water by grandson, brother by matt corby, black on black by nct 2018, go by nct dream, new heroes by ten, ddu-du ddu-du by blackpink, blood sweat and tears by bts, growl by exo, hurts so good by astrid s.
> 
> and i’ll stop now. enjoy the fic!
> 
> update: 1/24/20– so i reread this and damn how much my writing has improved since this~~ this fic is literally so cringey and disgusting i cri why it get so many hits tho people my other stuff is exponentially better
> 
> update: 2/6/20- i’m seriously considering deleting this fic and everything i’ve published before it because ew cringe but no i have too strong a sentimental attachment so y’all please just don’t read anything i wrote before this

Today was the day.

To say that Mark wasn’t ready was an understatement.

He’d been standing in the same position for the past five minutes, the thoughts running like the wind through his brain.

Honestly, he had no idea what to expect.

Mark did have two older brothers he could potentially consult, but Johnny ended up in Erudite, and Lucas was in Dauntless. So, no.

Mark was hoping for Dauntless. Though he dreaded the thought of leaving his parents and his younger brother Jisung, who would most probably stay Candor or transfer to Amity.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, he chided. Just take the Test and we’ll know.

Speaking of the Aptitude Test, he only had a few hours to get ready.

After the fastest shower ever in recorded history, Mark warily eyed the outfit already laid out for him on his unmade bed.

Freshly ironed white button down, black slacks. Standard. Just what Mark was used to, nothing out of the ordinary for a Candor.

Always simple, concise, and honest.

He wasn’t complaining, but it did get a little monotonous after a while.

This was the one thing Mark felt he couldn’t be completely transparent about.

With a soft sigh, he dressed, and ran a comb through his still slightly damp hair.

Mark turned to the mirror helpfully mounted to his cabinet.

Straightening his collar, he surveyed his reflection.

Mark, honestly, had never felt that he had a specifically remarkable appearance. A normal sized face, relatively gentle features, ears that stuck out slightly. Deep brown hair, one strand of which constantly fell onto his face, no matter how much he brushed it away.

With a final sigh, he walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

+++

The next day, Mark made his way to school, holding Jisung by the hand, looking through the crowd on the street for someone to talk to.

Mark quickly found what he was looking for. Ten, a fellow Candor, lived in a house not far from him, and he was happy to call the shorter boy the closest thing he had to a best friend.

Ten swiftly made his way through the crowd, dragging his 10 year old sister by the hand.

“You scared?” Was the first thing Mark heard. He quickly glanced upward to his friend’s smiling face.

“How are you not?”

Ten’s smile wavered slightly. “I am.” He breathed. “But we have to be calm. What’s the point in freaking out? We’ll have to take the Test either way, I mean..”

Mark nodded solemnly.

+++

Mark could feel himself getting more nervous with every passing minute.

He’d seen two girls come out of the testing room laughing, and a third crying.

That really didn’t help him.

He stared at his untouched lunch.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he heard, “From Candor, Mark Lee.”

He walked, perhaps too quickly, towards the Testing Room as he felt all eyes turn to him.

Upon reaching the Room, he was greeted by a short Abnegation volunteer with a warm smile.

The Abnegation gestured toward the nearby reclining chair, and Mark sat down gracelessly.

“You’re Mark Lee? Candor?” He asked, glancing towards his records.

Mark nodded, feeling his throat dry up.

“I’m Taeil. I’ll be administering your Test for today.” He paused. “You seem nervous. It doesn’t hurt, I promise.”

Mark nodded again, not sure what to say. Taeil smiled warmly.

“Just drink this and lie back. It’ll be over before you know it, okay?” He handed Mark a vial of almost translucent liquid.

He downed the stuff in one shot. Deep breaths, here we go.

+++

Mark was in a room with mirrors for walls and a white tile floor. He looked around, curious.

As he turned, a table materialized before him. One one side, a small piece of meat. On the other, a knife.

Mark furrowed his brow, confused. In what situation would he need these materials?

His question was promptly answered by a low growl behind him.

Well, shit.

He whipped around to the sight of an adult lion, dangerously close. He wasn’t usually afraid of lions, but something about this whole situation felt odd.

Mark reached blindly behind him, feeling his fingers wrap around the cold handle of the knife.

Before he had formulated a plan, he brought the knife down to his side, and grabbed the piece of meat as an after thought.

To say Mark didn’t like this would be an understatement. It all felt so real, he thought.

But it wasn’t.

Wait, if it wasn’t even real, what was he doing?

Mark blindly dropped the knife on the table behind him, and placed the meat at his feet. As expected, the lion care running towards the food.

Huh. He wasn’t sure what he meant to accomplish by that, but he had done it either way.

Mark knelt down, looking the creature in it’s eyes.

“This isn’t real.” He breathed.

The lion’s eyes softened, and Mark could swear he saw, with his own two eyes, the lion transform back into a cub.

And then he felt himself disintegrate.

+++

Mark darted upright in the reclining chair.

“Woah, there.” Taeil said, placing his hands on the younger’s shoulders. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh no, you just seemed a little disoriented.” The Abnegation replied, biting his lip hesitantly.

“Oh. Ok. Uh, what was my result?” Asked Mark quietly.

“Oh! Uh, Dauntless.” Taeil looked slightly uncomfortable, but Mark decided he was probably always like this.

“Really?” He smiled widely. “Thanks!”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Mark started out the door, but whipped around. “Can I just.. Go?”

“Yup.” His administrator smiled.

“Cool!”

Mark ran to the canteen as fast as his legs would carry him.

+++

“Ten! Ten, for god’s sake! What did you get?”

“Lord, Mark. What’s your problem?” Ten slid over to allow Mark a seat.

He glanced around, taking a seat. “Listen.” He whispered. “I got Dauntless.”

“Bro, are we even allowed to talk about this?”

Mark waved him off. “Everyone does.”

“Fine.” The shorter one sighed. “I got Amity.”

“Ah- you’ll fit in there so well!” He gushed, wrapping his friend in a hug.

Ten blew hair out of his eyes. “I don’t even know anyone in Amity.”

Mark glanced at Ten’s blank expression. “Oh, come on, it’ll be ok.”

He sighed. “It’ll be ok.” Ten repeated to himself, managing a weak smile.

+++

The next morning, Mark woke even before the sun rose.

He knew he was too eager, and that he should most probably calm down to collect his thoughts or some shit, but right now? Mark was too focused on what was to come.

And that’s when it hit him.

Dauntless meant leaving.

How was he supposed to bear being away from his parents and Jisung for even a day? Let alone.. However long he had to?

That’s where the breakdown started.

Mark collapsed back onto his bed. He remembered Johnny’s Choosing when he was 10, Lucas’ when he was 13.

This is how it’s been since the very beginning, he thought. This is what’s normal. Everyone does it, and now it’s your turn.

Was he even ready?

+++

After a good 10 minutes worth of aggressive self- reflection, Mark crawled out of bed to get ready.

Half an hour later, he stood in front of his mirror again, having a staring contest with himself.

Mark was dressed in an actual suit, like most Candors on their choosing. He’d attempted to tame his usually unkempt hair, and he thought he was at least partially successful. Save for that one damn strand of hair.

+++

Mark found himself overwhelmed in the crowd, what with all the 16 year olds in Chicago with their families.

He shuffled forward hesitantly. Even though he knew his family was right behind him, he felt strangely unsafe.

He took a seat in the Candor section of the Hub, next to his 13 year old brother, dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants.

The older smiled, messing up Jisung’s hair endearingly.

He’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, just a little.

The ceremony started the same as it usually did, with a speech and the introduction.

The Choosing had the same process every year.

It was presented by a different representative from each faction each year- this year it was a man from Abnegation.

The names of the 16 year olds were called by faction, and each was given a knife.

They were to cut their own hands, and drip their blood into the bowl of the faction they were joining. A bowl of coal for Dauntless, soil for Amity, pebbles for Abnegation, and shards of glass for Erudite.

Soon enough, a hush settled over the crowd as the first alphabetical name was called, and the Choosing commenced.

It was what usually happened. Mark observed other’s choices carefully.

A somewhat scared looking Abnegation boy with considerable eyebrows switched to Amity. A small Dauntless transferred to Erudite. A Candor girl stayed in her birth faction.

And then it was time for the L’s. The first was a slender boy with sun-kissed skin. His hand hovered over Candor for a second before he quickly switched to Dauntless.

Next, a boy with an incredible smile. Staying in Amity. A tall girl switching to Abnegation.

And then it was his turn. “Mark Lee, Candor,” echoed throughout the Hub.

With an audible gulp, Mark inches down towards the platform.

The Abnegation man handed him a fresh knife.

Mark found himself hit with deja vu as his fingers wrapped around the cold handle. Hands shaking, he drew an unsteady line across his palm with the blade.

Trying his best to ignore the searing pain, Mark made a fist, and raised it to eye level.

There was no going back now.

The hot coals sizzled as a single drop of his blood fell.

“Dauntless.”

+++

“Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, Candor.”

Mark glanced over from among the Dauntless, dressed in mostly black, just in time to see Ten flinch at his lengthy birth name before jogging down.

He shot his friend a reassuring glance.

Ten nodded to himself, and sliced through his palm with a shockingly fast motion.

His hand aligned itself with the Dauntless bowl.

Oh no.

Mark knew he had to do something to get Ten’s attention. Without attracting that of everyone else.

There was nothing he could do. Even Jisung all the way in Candor looked noticeably concerned as the blood began to trickle down Ten’s hand.

Jisung was never concerned.

Mark willed Ten to just turn his head slightly. That’s all it would take to stop him making a decision that could kill him.

And then, he looked up. Meeting Mark’s eyes for a fraction of a second, the expression on his face quickly turned to panic.

He looked conflicted, eyes darting between all the bowls before him.

At the last possible second, Ten jerked his arm towards the Amity bowl, just as a drop of his blood spilled over, traveling down the side of the bowl into the dark soil.

He closed his eyes, shaking.

“Amity.”

+++

The Ceremony got over quickly, and Mark stood up when the rest of Dauntless did, not wanting to look too out of place.

He saw his brother making his way through the section towards him.

“Lucas!” He grinned.

Lucas had always belonged in Dauntless. They suspected it since his birth. He was always doing dangerous things, landing himself in trouble.

Now, wearing a leather jacket, the ends of his unkempt hair dyed a dark blonde, he looked right at home.

His eyes lit up at the sight of his little brother.

“Markeu!” Lucas screeched, his high pitched laugh echoing throughout the Hub. “Welcome to the family.” He clapped the younger on the back.

Mark laughed nervously. “I’m scared.” He whispered.

Lucas looked as if he might combust. “There are so many things wrong with that statement.” He sighed, turning towards the direction of a voice shrieking his name.

“Listen, kid.” He quickly grabbed Mark by the shoulders. “I’m not allowed to help you too much through the initiation, because that would be unfair and we would both probably be kicked out. But I will tell you this. You have to be careful. Watch your back, okay kid? I’m rooting for you.” With a final smile, Lucas disappeared back into the crowd, leaving a mortified Mark behind.

Initiation?


	2. Chapter 2

Mark was pushed forward in the mob of black filing out of the Hub. 

He turned back towards his family in Candor. 

Bittersweet smiles from his parents, a weak grin from Jisung. 

A sinking feeling placed itself in Mark’s gut as the sun hit his face.

This could be the last time he saw them. 

He turned around again, desperate. 

And Mark saw nothing but the crowd around him. 

“You comin’, boy?” A voice from in front of him asked.

He nodded in the general direction of the voice, as he saw the train before him. 

There was a small gap between the roof they were currently standing on, and the tracks, seemingly suspended in the air. 

The fall would be at least a hundred feet, and the train was moving so fast that Mark could barely see it, save for the indistinct blur of red. 

Laughs echoed around him as each Dauntless leapt easily onto the train, some clinging to the outside.

They seemed... comfortable. 

Well, if Mark was to prove he truly belonged, this was what he had to do. 

There was no room for hesitation. 

He backed up, running a hand through his hair and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. 

And then he ran. 

+++

It felt like flying.

That was, until Mark smacked directly into the wall of the train, his hands tightly gripping a handle on the outside as he found a foothold on the step in front of the door, an opening in the side of the car. 

Looking up in front of him, he saw the wall of a tunnel getting closer and closer. 

Lovely. 

He ducked quickly inside the car as the train went through the tunnel, slamming against the opposite wall from the impact. 

Looking around, he saw Dauntless everywhere.

He noticed how it looked like the older Dauntless simply stepped in. 

This was going to take some getting used to, but the thrill was undeniable. 

Mark made eye contact with Lucas, one car down.

The older nodded, and the edge of his mouth tilted up in a suppressed smile. 

Triumph. 

+++

Mark stepped boldly towards the open door of the train car, clutching the inside handles as he settled on the step, loving the feeling of the wind whipping his hair into his face. 

The occasional Dauntless would still leap into the car from across the rooftops. 

Laughter filled the train.

Mark finally felt free. 

And then someone rammed into him.

+++

Mark’s hands quickly let go of the handles as he was thrown back by the force, smacking into the wall of the train for a second time. 

“Fuck.” He choked out, not daring to open his eyes as he lifted a hand to the back of his head, which had gotten most of the impact. 

Well, there was no blood, which was a good sign. 

Mark opened his eyes slowly, and saw the Erudite boy from the Ceremony, extremely close. 

The horror in his eyes almost made Mark think he was going to get an apology, but he quickly figured out he was wrong. 

The boy quickly stood up and offered Mark a hand. 

“You really should watch where you’re standing next time.” He said, brushing off his plaid shirt and running his fingers through his tousled hair, which was an interesting crimson kind of color. 

Not that Mark was paying attention.

Perhaps it was true that he should have realized that people were still potentially jumping in, and probably should have moved, but there were more elegant ways to say that.

Not that Dauntless was really about elegance.

The boy examined his wire rimmed glasses, which seemed on the verge of breaking. 

“Eh, I don’t really even need them.” He muttered, tossing them outside the car approximately 100 feet below them. 

“W-who are you?” Mark managed to choke out, perplexed.

“I’m Haechan. Erudite.” He considered this for a second. “Though I suppose we’re all considered Dauntless now.”

“I’m Mark. Uh, Candor. I guess.” 

“Hmm.” Haechan looked Mark up and down, all previous impressions gone. “You’re cute.” 

Mark was taken by surprise. “W-what?”

“Jump!” Someone called from a few cars down.

More cheers were heard as the older Dauntless threw themselves from the train.

Mark and Haechan glanced at each other before rushing towards the door. 

The gap seemed a lot larger now, and the fall would be considerably harder.

Mark doubted someone would survive such a fall. 

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” He called.

Haechan eyed the ground with an expression somewhere between concentration and hesitation.

The end of the rooftop was getting closer with every passing second, and Mark knew there was only one thing he could do. 

Grabbing Haechan’s hand and squeezing his eyes shut, he launched himself out of the train. 

+++

Mark landed hard on the gravel, the impact sending the two of them rolling towards the edge of the rooftop in a tangled mess of limbs. 

Haechan opened his eyes, breathing heavily as he rolled out from under the Candor boy. 

“We’re alive.” He breathed. 

Mark nodded, and quickly directed his attention to girl nearby, who was screaming down towards the street below.

He felt sick to his stomach as he saw Lucas come running, eyes wide as he grabbed the girl by her shoulders and said something Mark couldn’t hear. 

Someone had fallen. 

The girl, who was now hyperventilating, nodded to Lucas as he said something else and guided her to where the rest of the Dauntless were gathered. 

“Come on.” Haechan said softly, standing up and looking to Mark.

They made their way into the mob. 

+++

Before them, there was a hole in the rooftop. It seemed to be several stories deep, almost endless. 

One of the older Dauntless made his way to the front of the pack. 

“So.” He said, clapping his hands together, gathering the attention of the people around him. “Which one of our brave initiates will jump first?” 

The smirk on his face was teasing, and the look in his eyes nearly made Mark regret every decision he had ever made in his life. 

He glanced around. All the initiates were looking to each other, not wanting to be the first. 

Mark considered the people around him. Right now, he probably seemed the weakest. Candor weren’t known for their strength, after all. 

Joining Dauntless meant he had something to prove. So why not prove it, right?

This was most probably the most stupid decision Mark had ever made in his life. 

+++

“I’ll go.” He said, trying his best to sound confident. 

The leader glanced upwards. “And who are you?” 

“Mark. Candor.” 

“Oh no, no, no.” The older Dauntless (quite possibly the leader) clucked. “Mark, forget your old faction. From now on, you are a Dauntless. Your past means nothing. Okay?”

Mark nodded. 

“Go ahead.” The leader smirked again, running a hand through his flaming red hair.

Mark had half forgotten about the whole jumping thing. But how bad could it be? 

Don’t answer that. Honestly, he would most probably be dead in a few seconds. 

But it wasn’t about being honest anymore. It was about being brave. 

He stepped forward, and was suddenly aware of Haechan gripping his arm like a vise. 

Mark whipped around, and he immediately let go. 

Was he blushing? He had turned around to fast to tell. 

Not that it mattered. Or anything. 

Mark threw himself forward, tucking his knees into his chest as he fell for what seemed like an eternity.

+++

He wasn’t dead. 

AY YO, MAN. HE WASN’T DEAD. 

Mark rolled out of the net, and surveyed the dimly lit building around him.

The rest of the Dauntless followed him, with the leader going last, but looking effortless.

“Where’s Lucas...?” He muttered to himself, but the leader seemed to have heard. 

His voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s probably dealing with the girl up there who’s friend died.” He said it so casually that Mark couldn’t help but shudder. “She’s most probably going to end up Factionless.”

Haechan had materialized somewhere behind Mark. “And you don’t think that’s harsh?” 

The leader turned his attention to Haechan, who gulped. 

Upon looking closer, Mark realized the leader was actually quite handsome. 

But in a threatening way. He even had a slit through his eyebrow, adding to the aesthetic. 

“You a Candor?” He said in a low voice. 

Haechan reddened. “Erudite.” He squeaked.

“Hmm. Took you for a smart-ass.” The leader straightened up. “Here in Dauntless, we keep our mouths shut and our eyes open. You think you can remember that, smart-ass?” 

Mark glanced behind him to Haechan, who has nodding vigorously. 

Everyone turned toward Lucas, who had just come crashing down, somehow managing to look graceful?

To say Mark was awed would be an understatement. 

Lucas whispered something to the leader, who nodded solemnly. 

The pair turned to look towards the net, and the rest of the Dauntless quickly adjusted their glance. 

Soon enough, the girl from the roof had landed in the net. 

Standing up and brushing off her tan dress, she looked up at the leader with a look that could only be described as extreme distaste.

“I’d suggest you wipe that look off your face, Stiff.” He said, almost gently. 

The girl went rigid at the nickname, but quickly straightened up and nodded, pulling her light brown hair behind a shoulder. 

Lucas glanced up at her. “Shall we get started?”

The leader nodded. “Alright, initiates. I’m Taeyong. Welcome to Dauntless.” His eyes softened. “This isn’t going to be easy. We’re going to have to weed out those of you who aren’t fit for a life here through a lot of training. Since there are so few of you here, we’re going to have to make some adjustments. What is it, three of you?”

“Four.” The girl corrected, her eyes narrowed. “Sorry. One of them’s dead.” 

Mark blinked.

“..Right. A shame about our Amity candidate.” Taeyong glanced upwards, and when he blinked his eyes were steely again. 

The girl blew hair out of her face. 

“As I was saying, since there are.. so few of you, we won’t need to have anyone removed throughout eliminations. Don’t get me wrong, if any of you prove unworthy of this Faction, you will be cast out. And the training will be equally tough. But there will be no eliminations throughout training.” Lucas scanned the initiates faces as Taeyong continued. “Alright. That’s that. I’ll show you guys around.”

Taeyong didn’t seem too bad, Mark decided. Perhaps a little insensitive on the surface, but he didn’t seem the type to be cold through and through. 

Luckily, Mark was fortunate to have the other leader as a brother. Not that it would benefit him in any way, as he was reminded. 

“Alright! Names, all of you.” Lucas called from the front of the pack as the rest of the Dauntless dispersed. 

“Haechan.” Was the first reply, from the very back of the group. 

“Mark.” He said quietly, turning around and giving Haechan a nervous glance.

“Sasha.” The girl murmured. 

Taeyong stopped the group at a ledge, leaning back on the metal railing, the only thing stopping him from falling into the chasm below. “Ok. This is the Pit, where you kids will most probably be spending a lot of your time.” 

He pointed behind the initiates, who turned around.

“Training room, canteen, bunks, all that. And this,” He pointed below him. “A reminder of what being too brave can do.”

All three were expressionless. 

Lucas spoke up, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere. “Uh, it’s getting kind of late, and you guys need to get up early tomorrow, so, uh, dorms are that way.” 

Mark was the first to turn on his heel and leave. 

This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

+++

“Hey! Uh, Mark!” Came the already-familiar high pitched voice. 

Mark continued down the hall to the dorms. 

He was tense, but he didn’t know why. 

Haechan had finally caught up. “What’s your problem.”

Mark scrunched up his face. “What do you mean, problem? I’m completely fine.” He froze outside the bunk room door. 

“Wait a second. Where’s the girl?” 

Haechan craned his neck around the corner, searching for a glimpse of Sasha. “Beats me.”

Mark had a bad feeling about this. “Hold up a second.” 

He sprinted back down the corridor, turning a corner to the training rooms. 

Sure enough, there was Lucas. 

“Lucas!” He called, slightly out of breath. “Where’s Sasha?”

The older whipped around. “What do you mean, where’s Sasha- oh wait.” His face fell. “You’re sure she isn’t in the hall?” 

Mark shook his head. 

“Okay. Stay here and don’t move.” Lucas muttered, eyes widening as he raced out of the room. 

+++

Usually Mark would just assume she was lost, or something, but something about Sasha’s attitude made him paranoid. 

“What the fuck, Mark?” Haechan swerved into the room. 

“Sit here and don’t move.” He murmured, gesturing to the bench next to him. 

“Uh, okay.” Silence. “Look, I get that I’m annoying and all, but what’s the problem?” 

Mark drummed his fingers nervously. “I have a bad feeling about Sasha. I mean, I know she’s literally been gone for five minutes, but with her friend dying, I’m just a little...” He trailed off, hoping her paranoia wouldn’t come true. 

“Oh. Oh.” Haechan paused. “Then what the fuck are we still doing here?” 

The two of them sped out of the room. 

+++

The Pit had cleared out relatively quickly, all the Dauntless either off training or perhaps asleep. 

Shrieks rung through the empty Underground as Mark and Haechan attempted to find the source.

“Let me go, for God’s sake!” 

Mark skidded to a halt right near the ledge, and glanced to the side. 

“You fucking bastard!” The girl tried to wrench her wrists out of Lucas’ grasp. “Just let me go!” 

Mark lifted a finger to his lips, eyes wide. He wanted so badly to do something, but he couldn’t risk it. 

Taeyong materialized from behind Lucas, countering Sasha’s protests with shouts of his own. 

“What, are you insane? You’ve barely been here for an hour and you..” He sputtered. “You try to kill yourself?” 

“Just let me go.” She choked out, through sobs. 

“And why would we do that?” Lucas asked, voice shaking. 

Taeyong sharply turned to look at Mark and Haechan. There was no where they could go.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing here?” 

Mark was speechless. “I..”

“Back to your bunks! Now!” He growled, and Mark quickly obeyed, not wanting to die today. 

+++

He had probably taken four steps before realizing Haechan was no where to be seen.

Whipping around, Mark raced back down the metal ramp to where he found Haechan, caught between Lucas and Sasha, eyes wide as he rapidly spoke to her. 

“Haechan-“ Mark attempted to drag the other boy away from the scene as another tear silently traveled down Sasha’s cheek. 

“Thank you.” She mouthed, as Taeyong paced, looking about ready to jump into the chasm himself. 

Mark noticed Lucas’ grip on her wrists soften slightly as she sobbed silently. 

“Go.” She managed to mouth in the direction of the two boys, giving in. 

They did just that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a kinda short chapter, perhaps a filler of some sort- i dunno, i wrote it, and y’all get to meet two of our newer characters.. i didn’t proofread any of this.. okay now read

The next morning, Mark awoke in the almost empty dorm room (of all the 10 bunks in the room, Haechan just HAD to choose the one directly above him) with a splitting headache.

Groggily recollecting the events of yesterday, he sat upright, and was greeting by the sight of Lucas sitting on the floor, knees tucked into his chest, nearby.

“Lucas?” He said, rubbing his eyes.

“Shhh.” Came the reply, accompanied with a gesture towards the bunk above Mark, where the other boy was still fast asleep. 

“The girl-“ He started, lowering his voice to a whisper. 

“Factionless.” Lucas replied, glancing upwards. 

Mark’s head hit the pillow as he sighed, already overwhelmed.

“Maybe it’s harsh.” He continued, voice soft. “But there was nothing he could do. I’m sorry.” 

Mark just shook his head in response, as Haechan turned over above him. 

“You guys should get up.” Lucas finished, avoiding eye contact as he disappeared around the corner.

+++

Around half an hour later, Mark stepped out of the bunk room, dressed in standard Dauntless wear- a sleeveless black shirt and cargo pants. It felt strange. but good. 

Everything about this was odd. Even the showers were weird, man. 

Mark slowly made his way towards the canteen, looking for a familiar face.

Considering he really only knew two people, that was kind of hard. 

Trying to push the disturbed thoughts of Sasha out of his brain, Mark shuffled towards seemingly the only empty table in the whole place. 

He stared blankly at the food in front of him. Technically, Mark should have been excited, but right now he really just felt lonely. 

That is, until Haechan materialized out of seemingly nowhere (Mark quickly learned he was quite talented in this department), and slid into the seat next to him.

He was wearing an outfit nearly identical to Mark’s but for some reason.. he looked... good?

Mark blinked and looked away. He knew that if he let himself notice the way Haechan’s still-slightly-damp hair fell slightly into his wide doe eyes, and how his golden skin sh-

Nope, nope, nope. 

After all, he’d only known this kid for, like, half a day. And yet, his brain had decided on- 

Nope.

Mark had always hated how quickly shit like this happened to-

cHanGinG tHe sUbjEcT- 

“So...”

“....Yeah.” 

This was going well, right? Totally.

A scrawny kid, probably no older than 14, abruptly made his way up to the table.

Mark was thankful for the distraction, but he was also equally terrified when the boy whipped out a knife and started inspecting it.

“Excuse me, who the fuck are you?” Haechan directed his attention to the kid, who now focused his own tired expression on the older boy.

His entire face lit up so quickly that it gave Mark whiplash.

“Looks like I’m in the right place!” He said gleefully. 

He whipped to the side suddenly, where Taeyong was walking past. “Ay, Taeyong!” He tugged on the older boy’s sleeve until he turned around.

“What do you want, Y-“ Taeyong glanced towards the two initiates. 

“I hear the other initiate is dead or something-“ Haechan blinked. “-so can I train with them? Please? There’s no Dauntless trainees this year.” 

Taeyong scoffed, as Lucas stopped in his tracks nearby. 

“Yangyang, you’re like, two.” Mark’s brother furrowed his brow.

The boy (who was apparently called Yangyang) pouted. “I am almost 15, for your information.” 

Taeyong assumed the expression of a concerned mother as the kid began fiddling with his knife again. 

Mark looked on in utter confusion. 

“Fine. But only because your idiot brother-“

“Renjun isn’t an idiot! He’s smart. That’s why he’s in Erudite now.” 

“-decided Dauntless wasn’t good enough for him. You’re staying put here for the rest of your life, you understand?”

Yangyang nodded furiously, as Lucas continued glancing nervously between the three trainees. 

“Good.” Taeyong began walking away, “Oh, and, you’re not allowed to kill them, okay?”

Mark could swear that Yangyang’s face fell ever so slightly. Haechan looked mortified. 

The boy stuck his knife in the table with an extremely unsatisfying stabbing noise. 

“So, a Candor and an Erudite. I had a dream about you two, you know.” 

Mark let out an odd kind of “heh?” noise while Haechan raised an eyebrow tentatively. 

“You know.. you’re a little weird...” 

Yangyang smiled brightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were the Candor. But I do know better. You go by a nickname, don’t you?”

“Haechan.” He said quietly.

“Pleasure to meet you. Oh, and, don’t worry. You’re not alone. They all think I’m weird, but they never say it because they know I could kill them in their sleep and no one would find the body.” Yangyang’s smile widened. 

“You’re the fucking devil-“ Mark blurted, a lot louder than intended. 

“Thank you, honey. Let’s see. Obviously, you’re the Candor. Nervous, but not scared.” Yangyang clucked. “You fall in love too easily.” 

As Mark reddened, the younger boy turned to Haechan. “Remind me to take advantage of that at some point.” He said, cocking his head in Mark’s direction. 

“Causing trouble already, are you, Yangyang?” Came a voice, most probably from the girl passing by on their left, the beginning of a smirk peeking out from underneath her youthful smile, taunting.

Yangyang whipped around. “Lillian, I swear, one of these days-“ 

“Not if I kill you first!” 

Mark could hear Lucas sighing from the other side of the canteen, and nearly burst out laughing when he saw the utterly perplexed expression frozen on Haechan’s face. 

And then he remembered that if he did, he’d probably be murdered by a ten, sorry, fOurTeEn year old. 

“Well, you two look.. disturbed.” Yangyang smirked, turning back to the two of them. “Better get used to it.” He turned back around, setting his smug expression in the direction of Lucas’ voice. 

“Lillian, you need to stop killing people-“

Mark hadn’t realized she was serious. 

How the fuck did these people raise their children-

+++


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day passed in a blur, with a record-speed tour of the part of Chicago that Dauntless hung around, and an overview of what was to come for training.

Mark was feeling confident.

So confident that, in fact, at the end of the day, he collapsed into his bunk and screamed. 

You know, just screamed. For the fun of it. 

Pressing a pillow over his face, Mark silently prayed the walls were soundproof. 

Yangyang shuffled into the dorm, clutching a duffel bag that was probably as big as him, an expression of exhaustion plastered on his face. 

“So.” He leapt onto the next bunk over, sighing. “Mr. Mark Lee.”

Mark cast the pillow away to furrow his brows at the smaller boy. 

Yangyang simply looked up, crossing his arms as he stretched himself like a cat across his bed, looking the 16 year old up and down. 

“You’ve got a brother.” His eyes glazed over slightly. “Nope, you’ve got three. Erudite, Dauntless, blah, blah-“ Yangyang paused abruptly, meeting Mark’s still-questioning eyes with a blinding grin. 

“Really? Haechan?” He brought his voice down to a whisper. 

Mark’s eyes widened, as he turned with an unnecessarily jerk-y movement to face the grinning boy. “W-what?” 

“You and the Erudite kid.” His smile widened, if that was even possible at this point. 

“What do you mean, me and- oh. OH. nO, sWeEtiE.” Maybe Mark had forgotten that this kid probably had about ten knives on him at any given time, but Yangyang was wrong.

One second of confusion didn’t mean anything. 

“How do you know so much, anyways?”

Yangyang shrugged. “I see stuff. Sometimes I dream stuff. But I’m never wrong about these things.” He finished, punctuated by an eyebrow wiggle that resulted in Mark slamming his head into the headboard behind him. 

As if on cue, Haechan abruptly skidded around the corner into the room, slightly out of breath, a single cowlick of crimson hair standing up at the back of his head.

Perhaps it was more than a single second of confusion. 

His brow furrowed at the sight of the 14 year old, perched at the edge of his bunk. 

“You live with us now?” 

“Yeah, I guess. Shouldn’t be a problem, there are like 10 empty bunks in here.” Yangyang shrugged. 

Haechan’s eyes darted towards Mark. “Yeah.. Ok. Uh, can I talk to you..?” 

Mark cast a sideways glance towards Yangyang, who was biting his lower lip to suppress a smile. 

He rolled his eyes at the younger boy, who promptly let out a soft squeal.

Haechan cringed slightly. “Is he.. okay?” 

“He’s fine.” Mark said hurriedly, dragging Haechan outside. 

+++

The pair found themselves leaning against the metal railing, staring pensively into the chasm below. 

The pit was quiet, since it was getting a little late. 

“The Abnegation from yesterday..” Haechan started quietly, avoiding eye contact. 

“Factionless.” Came Mark’s reply, simply parroting what he had heard earlier that day. 

“Of course.” The shorter boy breathed.

Mark was unsure of what to say. 

Luckily for him, Haechan spoke before he could. “You’d think they’d show her some mercy, her friend just.. died.. But I guess that’s not how things work in Dauntless. Whatever.” He fiddled with the drawstring of the sweatshirt he had carelessly thrown on, and ran a hand through his already-messy hair. 

Mark blinked. “You know, I get why they think you’re Candor.” 

Haechan stiffened, turning sharply to face the other boy. “You seem Abnegation, but no one ever mentions it. Not that that matters.” He breathed deeply. “I got Candor on my Test.”

“Huh?” It has been a while since Mark had heard of someone so openly defying their results. 

“At least, that’s what I was told.”

“Then.. What are you doing here? I thought you were just supposed to choose what to Test told you?” 

“No offense, but Candor is pretty boring.” 

Mark couldn’t argue with that.

“I don’t think I could handle being Lee Donghyuck with the useless glasses for another day. And, I dunno, I guess I thought this place would help me. I.. do.. stuff sometimes.”

“What kind of stuff?”

Haechan nodded to no one in particular, as though conferring with himself.

“Impulsive stuff.”

Mark blinked. “Like.. What?”

Haechan glanced at Mark for a split second, before sighing quietly and turning on his heel to face the other boy.

Quickly looping his arms around a surprised Mark’s neck, Haechan answered, “Stuff like this.”

He stood on his toes, pressing a soft kiss to Mark’s lips. 

“Yup. Stuff like that.” He broke away, focusing his gaze towards the chasm once again. 

Mark stood frozen in place, unable to process the past few seconds. 

In all honesty, he was flustered beyond words, and as much as he hated to admit it, devastated at the prospect of that being the only time Haechan would ever kiss him.

“So.. You joined Dauntless.. Because you like kissing people...?

Real smooth, Mark.

Haechan looked horrified, but quickly covered it up with a strangely suggestive smile. “No, you idiot,” He scoffed. “I make IMPULSIVE DECISIONS. Meaning, I saw you, and decided I wanted to kiss you, so I kissed you.”

Haechan shrugged, obviously satisfied by Mark’s sudden blush. 

“It’s no big deal. Basically, I came here because I do weird shit sometimes, and I’d like to think I’m brave enough to make it.” 

Mark was hit by a sudden wave of confidence. He leaned against the railing, gazing out in front of him.

“Okay then, Mr. Lee Donghyuck.” 

Haechan abruptly faced Mark, eyebrows raised in question.

“If you’re so brave, kiss me again.” 

The embarrassment that settled on the shorter boy’s face was quickly replaced with a smirk. 

“You sure about that, Candor?” 

“It’s Dauntless, now.”

+++

Mark was pushed into the wall parallel to the railing, any and all confidence he may have had before disappearing as quickly as it had showed up. 

Haechan’s brown eyes glinted in a way that sent Mark’s heart racing.

The shorter boy leaned in, stopping a mere milimeter away from Mark. 

Well fuck, he thought, feeling the warmth of Haechan’s breath against his skin.

And then there were lips against his own, evidently not wasting a second as he felt his mouth being forced open, the kiss deepening, and- 

Well, from there on, Mark lost all ability to form a coherent thought.

He moved his arms not even an inch, and they were promptly grabbed by the wrists pinned against the wall above his head. 

One kiss. That’s all he wanted. 

When Haechan broke away, Mark was fairly sure he would implode, or explode, or perhaps just disintegrate. 

But alas, he survived long enough to see Haechan’s wide eyes, a blush dusting his golden skin, slowly raising a hand to his own lips in surprise. 

“All I asked for was one kiss..” Mark stood, glued to the wall behind him, breathing far too heavily for his own liking.

“I know, I’m sorry-“ Haechan buried his face in his hands. “This is what I mean when I say impulsive decisions, man.” He whined. 

Mark might have been amused, if he wasn’t so busy being flustered.

“Don’t worry, okay?” He said quietly, detaching himself from the wall. “It’s not like I would tell anyone-“

“Oh, please don’t tell anyone.” Haechan begged, despite Mark having just said he wouldn’t. 

Mark realized how completely adorable Haechan’s voice was- not that he could really view him as cute in any way anymore. 

“It’s not like it was.. an.. unpleasant experience, I mean..” The tips of Mark’s ears burned, definitely a searing shade of red. “I just didn’t take you for a-“

“OKay, thank you, that’s all I needed to hear.” Haechan clasped his hands together, the blush still evident. “You’ve known me, what, a day and a half and you already have sUch an impression of me.”

“Hey, you kissed me first!” Mark grinned. 

“I was just gonna leave it at that...!” 

“Mmmmmhm.” Mark began making his way back to the dorms, a confused Haechan on his heels. 

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

+++

When Mark skidded into the dorm, Haechan a foot behind him, he was greeted by the sight of a smug looking Yangyang, seated comfortably on the edge of his bed.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep? It must be past your bedtime.” Taunted Haechan, earning a humorless chuckle from the younger boy, accompanied by a telltale raise of the eyebrow. 

Yangyang remained silent for a few moments, glancing deliberately between the two boys before letting out a low whistle. 

“Y’all two done did the dirty.” He said, raising his eyes brows at the ground before reclining onto his bed.

Mark choked on pure oxygen, while Haechan decided now would be a good time to disappear into the shadows.

“Why.. why would you say that- how do you even kNow what-“ Mark managed, between desperate gasps for air.

“I’m not 10. Plus, Taeyong used to say ‘do whatever the fuck you want, just be safe’-“

“We’re not that much older than you, you know.” Stated Haechan, still cowering in a corner, the blush rising up his neck. 

“So..?” 

Mark considered screaming into a pillow, but decided that the best course of actions would be to stay silent, considering even one kiss, at the ripe old age of 16, had caused him a small heart attack. 

Two kisses. 

The only two he’d had in his life.

Adrenaline, man.

Thus, Mark collapsed onto his bed, leaving Haechan to deal with the devil incarnate. 

+++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> perhaps i feel r e a l l y weird about writing that kiss and i’m sorry for what y’all have read but i think i’ll be publishing shorter chapters now.. maybe??? i don’t know how well this flows lmao i’m trying and i still didn’t proofread anything- oH wait i nearly done did forgotted. iuwui wanted me to ask you guys (the few who feel up to commenting/reading) if y’all think we’re gay for each other. i’m sure y’all don’t care but 👀  
thanks again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes bitches i am back and more dead inside than ever enjoy hehe there’s about to be a shit ton of lilliyang (ooh i like that)

The speed at which training picked up was enough to give anyone whiplash. 

One tour to waking up at dawn and immediately starting throwing knives and shooting at targets. 

Which Yangyang was almost alarmingly good at. 

That shouldn’t have been allowed, considering it had really only been four hours since they had woken up. 

And Mark had narrowly missed Taeyong twice. 

He’d get it. They’d get it. 

+++

At lunch, Yangyang collapsed horizontally on the bench, obviously cultivating a flare for the dramatic. 

Haechan and Mark shared a glance, then turned back to their food. 

They were quickly interrupted by a sharp yell of “Not today, Satan!” from across the canteen, which was promptly punctuated by Yangyang righting himself so quickly that he hit his head on the underside of the metal table, but didn’t miss a beat. 

With a quizzical raise of his eyebrow, Haechan glanced between the younger boy and the source of the shriek, now strutting by, empty milk carton in hand, dark hair bouncing with every step. 

Mark may have been dense, but he wasn’t stupid. 

Relaxed Yangyang + Lillian approaching = Tense Yangyang? 

Oh, this was TOO good. 

He made yet another second of eye contact with Haechan, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards in an-obviously-Chaotic-Neutral kinda smile. 

Whipping around, Mark grabbed on to Lillian’s sleeve desperately, an odd reflex.

Halting suddenly but not turning around, the girl replied, in a calm voice probably a good octave lower than her usual one, “Unhand me, good sir.” 

Mark, caught slightly off guard, especially when Haechan muttered a soft “whomst” behind him, let go. 

Lillian whipped her head around, narrowly missing slapping Yangyang with her hair as he ducked away. 

Haechan calmly grabbed Yangyang by the ear and depositing him back in his seat, still maintaining eye contact with the girl glancing distastefully down at them. 

With a clearing of her throat, Lillian smiled widely, casting her milk carton off to a side, strangely reminiscent of Yangyang’s haphazard expression changes. 

“Alright, what do you two-“ Her eyes darted to the left. “Three-“ Yangyang gulped. “-losers want? We can discuss this like men.” 

She adjusted her stance, and Mark felt Haechan sink slightly downwards in his seat.

Mark, in a pathetic attempt to be subtle, gestured the seat across from him. “Sit with us..?” Perhaps it sounded like a plea, considering Lillian’s reaction. 

“And why would I do that? Irene is waiting for me-“

“Just do it.” Haechan coaxed, the words offset by the unnaturally high tone he had put on. Mark jumped a foot into the air at the sound. 

Lillian blinked, glanced at Haechan, and blinked again. “Fine.” She muttered, sliding down the bench towards the already flustered 14 year old. 

“What are you looking at, jackass?” She muttered, regarding Yangyang- whose usual confident disposition was nowhere to be seen. 

He quickly shifted his gaze, muttering a weak “nothing” before glaring at Mark.

For a kid who was 100% fearless 24/7, Yangyang sure did look intimidated. 

Haechan smiled devilishly.

“So?” Asked Lillian, poking uninterestedly at her food with her fork. 

“I’mma be going now.” Yangyang abruptly stood up, hitting his knees against the bottom of the table. “See ya, dickwads!” 

“He’s in love with you, you know.” Haechan raised his eyebrows at Lillian, and was met with a weak punch from Mark. 

Mark was unable to tell whether Lillian’s expression of surprise was genuine or not, since it disappeared within a millisecond and was replaced with a blank one. 

“I’ve never been great at reading social cues, but I highly doubt it.” 

Haechan nearly scoffed at this. “We’ve known him, what, a day? And it’s so obvious. You’ve known him...”

“13 years.” 

Mark, who had been hiding in the corner throughout this exchange, decided now was the time to interrupt, shooting a glare at the boy next to him. “Okay, we didn’t need to go that far, thanks.” He turned to Lillian, pleading quietly. “Please don’t mention any of this or treat him any different or-“

“What do you think I’m gonna do? I already told you, I’m completely clueless.” Lillian paused. “Irene’s been waiting for long enough.” With that, she stood up and headed on her way with a two finger salute. 

+++

When Mark reached the dorm after individual training, he was greeted by the sight of Yangyang stretched across his bunk, arms crossed, scowling up into the bottom of the bunk above him. 

Haechan was on the top bunk of the pair next to him, reading a book. 

Mark was sure that the slightly menacing smile frozen on his face was not a result of whatever he was reading. 

“Haechan, for god’s sake, don’t harass the kid.” He plopped down onto his own bed, covering his eyes with a hand.

“Hey, you’re the one who started it.” Came the ever teasing reply. 

“I’m right here, you know.” Yangyang blew a piece of light brown hair out of his face. “Is this payback or something?” 

Mark asked, “For what?” as Haechan simultaneously replied with a simple “Yes.” 

Mark turned onto his back, facing the top bunk even though he knew Haechan couldn’t see him. “What did he even do?” 

Silence. “Nothing.” Haechan scoffed. 

Yangyang bolted upright. “Bitch, I know I was right. I am right. I’m yet to be wrong.” 

“Huh?” 

Mark remained quiet. 

“I don’t know. I get visions sometimes. It’s kinda creepy because I thought they were just dreams and thoughts and shit and then they all started happening. Only Taeyong and Renjun know, really, but it doesn’t matter to me who knows.” He narrated this all barely above a whisper, a low, surprisingly somber hum coming from so small a boy. 

Haechan seemed unconvinced. “Really? Ok, predict me something then.” 

“I don’t think that’s how it works-“ Mark began. 

“Yeah, no, that’s not how it works.” 

“Ok, well, when you do see something, tell me, because that’s kinda low-key cool.”  
Haechan said, slightly disappointed but not unamused. “Though, technically, it shouldn’t be possible, due to the extreme unlikelihood of a human-“

“Go to sleep, Erudite.” 

+++

“Ay!” 

Mark actually hit his head on the bottom of the top bunk.

“What do y- it’s 1:27 AM!”

*quick pause to break the fourth wall and add a ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)*

“Yes, I’m aware. We don’t have much time.” Lillian crossed her arms, looking.. extraordinarily threatening for a 13 year old. 

“What exactly are we doing?” 

At this, Yangyang emerged from who knows where, complete with THAT grin. “You know, since you’re a Dauntless now-“ 

“Who knows, he could do something to get himself kicked out-“ Haechan spoke, leaping from the top bunk. 

How does one have this much energy at 1:30 AM. 

“-you better look the part.” 

Mark ran a hand through his hair. “Ok, ok. You’re telling me we’re sneaking out in the middle of the night to get... makeovers?”

Yangyang scrunched up his nose. “Don’t say ‘makeover’, that sounds gay.” 

Haechan raised an eyebrow. 

“Not that there’s any- OW!” Yangyang was cut off as Lillian cast a sharp blow to the back of his head. 

“What’s she doing here?” Asked Haechan, eyes darting to Lillian. 

“‘She’ has a name, and is also aware that you know it.” 

Mark gulped. 

“I’m bored and have an irregular sleep schedule. Also, I’m ugly as fu-“

At this, Yangyang decided to hit Lillian back. She didn’t wince, but cast a passive side eye in his direction. 

Mark thoroughly enjoyed the way Yangyang shrank down into the corner. 

“Alright, get outta bed, we have to be back by dawn.” 

+++

“You walk so slow, what the fuck?”

“I’m sorry, it’s cold!” 

“You know what?” *takes off jacket* “I told you to fucking wear layers but you didn’t fucking listen and now you’re going to be sick because you didn’t listen to me and-“ 

Yangyang and Lillian shared a knowing glance. 

“Hey, what are you two fetuses looking at?” Haechan barked. 

Mark blushed, wrapping himself in the not-very-warm-but-hey-it’s-still-something leather jacket. 

“It’s over here. Come on.” Lillian said quietly, swerving into a somewhat shady looking place. 

On the inside, music was blaring, the entire room illuminated in blue and purple light. It was organized chaos. 

“And this is where we split up.” Grinned Yangyang, walking backwards and disappearing behind a curtain. 

Wait, what?

Mark suddenly felt a cold hand on his shoulder and jolted.

“Woah, there. Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle.” 

He turned around, seeing a girl, considerably shorter than him, long hair in cascading braids down to her waist. “I’m Irene. I hear you know Lillian?” 

Mark nodded, managing a smile. 

“I’ll be helping you for today.” She grinned again, as though showing up at 2 AM was completely normal. 

Well, there go any second thoughts, Mark thought, disappearing behind a curtain of his own. 

+++

Blonde haired Mark Lee glanced quizzically back at himself. 

Well, it’s not like he didn’t know what he was signing up for. 

He turned slightly in front of the mirror, eyeing his new tattoo.

Ah, Mom and Dad would have a heart attack, he thought with a quirk of a smile. 

On Mark’s right arm, the whole solar system in a straight line, the sun tucked into the crook of his elbow, planets lining from his shoulder to his hand. 

Wow. 

“You look beautiful.” 

He turned around. 

Haechan was leaning against the wall, teasing smile making Mark’s heart (as cliched as it sounds) skip a beat.

Oh, fuck me.

He brushed a lock of curly silver hair out of his face. “Well?” 

Yeah, no way Mark was going to be able to form a coherent sentence any time soon. 

Instead, he went forward, leaning against the wall, throat completely dry. 

“What?” 

As Haechan glanced over, Mark noticed the trail of tiny stars along his neck, starting behind his ear and disappearing into the collar of his shirt. 

He was wearing eyeliner.

Fucking eyeliner.

Thankfully, that was the moment Yangyang decided to waltz out, brown hair (now with blonde highlights) bouncing with every step. 

“Wow, you guys look good!” He chirped, taking a spot on the wall next to Mark. “What are we doing?” 

“We,” Mark said quietly, “Are waiting.” 

“Waiting for what?” 

As if on cue, Lillian tiptoed out from behind the curtain immediately in front of them. 

Her hair (now with a good 3 inches chopped off sharply) was combed to the side, streaked with light brown that perfectly matched her eyes. 

Yangyang slid down the wall, taking a seat on the ground. 

“Bro, are you okay?”

Yangyang nodded, eyes darting up to Mark as he silently mouthed “I’m too young for this shit.” 

Haechan snorted.

“C’mon guys, we don’t have that much time to spare.” 

+++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah i know this one was short but thank you for readinghhghwjwkakabqjajd wow that lenny got fucked up lmao what am i doing i have 3 tests tmrw


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah a lot happens in this one prepare for a long-ish wait until the next chapter unless by some miracle i have less homework~~ i’m already ahead of myself planning oneshits and a whole nother long term fic without even finishing this one ugh but once again thanks for reading this far and still no proofreading heh

As soon as Mark opened his eyes the next morning, Yangyang darted upright.

Mark’s eyes darted to the sudden motion. 

“Hey, are you okay?” 

The younger boy said nothing, panting, his face quickly draining of all its color as a single bead of sweat traveled down the side of his face.

“No.” He muttered. “No, no, no, no.” 

“Y-“

“Taeyong. I need to find Taeyong.” 

“Wait-“ 

Yangyang turned to Mark, swallowing as though suppressing a sob. “I’ll be back.” 

With that, he stood up and sprinted from the room. 

+++

The usual glint in Taeyong’s eyes was gone. Even after knowing him for a mere few days, Mark knew it was clear to see.

Something was very wrong.

Mark didn’t have much time to think about it, since he was quickly pushed outside for more training. 

The rising tension in the air made Mark begin to dread the thought that this strenuous training would actually need to be used someday.

He didn’t want to throw knives or shoot at people, if he could help it. 

Today was peaceful, from that respect, judging as he had to do really nothing but haul sacks of something or other around. 

The air was crisp, but not cold. 

Mark felt surprisingly strong that day. It was probably the muted panic hanging in the air above him. 

All of his somewhat frenzied thoughts are quickly forgotten as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

Someone. He would recognize that strut anywhere. 

Mark proceeded to drop the bag he was currently holding on his foot, suppressing a yelp. 

He glanced cautiously to the side. Lucas looked distracted enough. 

Mark snuck off to the side, grabbing Ten by the arm. 

“Hey-“ 

Ten made a noise of surprise and was promptly shushed. 

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to be talking to you.” 

“Why, what did I do?” 

Mark paused, unsure of why he’d hesitated. “I dunno.” Another pause. “How’s Amity been treating you?” 

“Oh, it’s-“ Ten cut himself off, taking a step back and glancing upwards. “Who is tHat?” 

Mark followed Ten’s gaze, letting out an uncomfortable chuckle. “That’s Taeyong. He’s.... a little intimidating.” He decided.

Ten swatted at him. “Forget that, just look at him.” 

“...Yeah, no. We’re just gonna-“ 

He was cut off yet again. “Your brother’s staring at my Test dude.”

“H-huh?”

“The Abnigation volunteer who gave me my Aptitude Test?” 

“What about him?” 

Ten smirked into the distance. “Lucas seems... rather taken with him.” 

Mark scrunched up his nose, not bothering to look. “Since when do you talk like that?” 

“Man, Amity is actually making me smart or something.” 

“Isn’t that what Erudite is for?” 

“Tell that to our leaders.” Ten let out a final scoff. “Speaking of which, I’d better go before they send out a search party.” 

“Go, then.” Mark smiled, going back to his work with all of his worries forgotten. 

+++

Yangyang looked far too stressed for someone of 14. 

Haechan pretended not to notice, shooting him a passive glare before climbing up to the top bunk and muttering, “So? What’s wrong?” 

No reply. 

Mark raised an eyebrow. Judging by Yangyang’s naturally outgoing and loud personality, it would be hard for him to keep a secret. 

In fact, Mark noticed Yangyang’s expression go completely blank as he started fidgeting in response to Haechan’s question. 

Haechan knew this too, evidently, since he just kept his gaze on the younger boy and remained quiet. 

“Look.” Yangyang said, just above a whisper, as the color drained completely from his face. “It’s not good. And I don’t know how much Taeyong will let me tell you.” He regarded the partially amused look on Mark’s face. “This is serious. Bad stuff is happening, okay?” 

Haechan appeared unconvinced. “Really? Like what?” 

Silence. 

“You know of the thing, right?” Yangyang started again, looking overwhelmed.

“What thing?” Mark interjected.

“The thing with the... Divergents.” His voice dropped to a whisper now.

It had happened before any of them were born, but of course they knew about it. Or at least, the general idea of it. 

Divergents were people who didn’t completely fit into one faction or another, but were more of a mix. Many had thought that they were dangerous to society. People had been forced to kill Divergents without their consent. That’s where Mark’s knowledge got a little fuzzy. 

“Yes.” Haechan replied from above, a hint of.. something in his voice. 

Yangyang took a deep breath. “It’s happening again.” 

Mark felt his heart suddenly drop.

Wait, what? 

There hadn’t been any form of discrimination towards Divergence in the last 20 years that he knew of. In fact, there hadn’t been any mention of them whatsoever. Mark had grown up believing that the last of the Divergents were gone, and since nobody he knew had ever reported- 

“That’s not possible.” The silence in the air only confirmed that it was. Mark suddenly remembered the pain in Taeyong’s eyes that morning, the sinking feeling that something was about to happen. 

“It is. And very soon.” Yangyang murmured, avoiding eye contact. 

“How soon, may I ask?” Haechan’s voice drifted down. 

“Within the next 48 hours.” 

Panicked silence hung over the room.

“What are you going to do about it?” Asked Haechan, uncharacteristically quiet.

“Well... I guess Taeyong has to know what to do.” Yangyang looked down at his lap. “I don’t want anyone to die.” 

Mark was still confused, maybe partially in denial. “So.. what’s controlling us?”

“We don’t know. It’s quite possible that the drug was administered through the Aptitude Test, meaning that anyone above the age of 16 would have to fight.”

“And the children?” Mark suddenly felt bad for attacking Yangyang with questions. 

“I don’t know.” Replied Yangyang, panic rising in his voice. “I don’t know what to do. I’ll get more information tomorrow. I have to.” 

“You told us you can’t just make that happen..” Haechan hesitated.

“It’s not a matter of whether I can or not. I have to.” He repeated.

Mark felt his heart pounding even 20 minutes later, when they were all falling asleep.

+++

Mark felt himself being shaken awake. 

“C’mon. We have to see Taeyong.” Yangyang hissed. 

The three of them nearly sprinted until they found who they were looking for, pacing in the hall.

He glanced between the three of them, and led them into a nearly empty room that Mark had never noticed before. 

“Anything?” 

Yangyang nodded vigorously. “I-“

“Wait. Is it necessary for them to be here?” Taeyong’s eyes darting to the two boys, who stood uncomfortably. 

“They know all that you do.”

Mark expected Taeyong to be annoyed, but instead he just cast a sad glance in their direction before turning back to Yangyang. 

“Talk.” 

+++

The information that they had gathered was plentiful, but Mark didn’t know how they could use it to their advantage. 

That night, all people above the age of 16 with adequate health would be possessed, in one way or another. 

Mark tried not to let the whole mind control aspect of this disturb him too much, but the idea of not being conscious of what he was doing was terrifying. 

They would be attempting to kill 7 Divergents. The only 7 in the whole city. 

“It gets worse.” Murmured Yangyang, color beginning to drain from his face. “They’re all children.” 

There was a collective intake of breath. 

“When you say children..” 

“I mean 16 and below. Part of the age group that would be asleep during this whole thing.” 

Meaning that if any child was awake at that point, they would be Divergent and would most probably not survive the night. All other children would be forced into a deep sleep, though no one was really sure how that was possible. 

“It doesn’t matter who did this or how they did it. What matters what we do in response.” Taeyong had said, completely devoid of his usual steely gaze. 

Mark couldn’t decide whether Yangyang’s visions had helped them or harmed them. He could have prayed that it was all just some weird joke, but Yangyang had never been wrong. Maybe it would have been better if they just had no idea what was coming. 

None of them wanted to kill anyone. Let alone innocent children. 

“So, what do we do?” Asked Haechan, who had remained silent through the whole discussion. 

There was no reply. 

Helplessness overcame the four of them, knowing that nothing could stop what was coming. 

“Whatever we can.”

+++


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still no proofreading. this is a kind of weird chapter and the mood shifts around a lot. i apologize, really the mood of my writing depends on what music i’m blasting into my ears and also the number of tests i have the next day. enjoy..?

Mark was waken up by the sound of rhythmic footsteps from the room nearby. He scrambled out of bed, waiting for whatever the others were feeling to kick in. 

Glancing to the side, he noticed a uniform had been set out for him, emblazoned with the Dauntless symbol. 

Mark looked up to where Yangyang was in a deep sleep, not moving a centimeter despite the somewhat pained expression on his face. 

It hurt him, just a little bit. 

As Mark laced up his boots, he realized with a start that he felt nothing. 

Nothing. 

Panic surging through his veins, he began shaking Haechan awake. 

“What do you-“ 

Mark clapped a hand over Haechan’s mouth, a sob caught somewhere in his throat. 

“No.. no, no, no.” He mouthed, over and over, as Haechan’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Oh my god.” 

Willing himself not to be too emotional about this, Mark straightened up. “We don’t have much time. The others are getting ready.” 

Barely five minutes later, Mark and Haechan has cracked the door of their room open, peeking out towards the single file line of people, marching forward, expressionless. It seemed unending. 

Haechan pushed the door closed. “They’re hunting us.” He whispered. 

“We have to mimic them as best we can, and...” 

“And?” 

“And then we find the others.” 

They marched out of the dorm, attempting to blend in. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Mark saw a figure on the floor of the girls’ dorm, as though she’d collapsed while walking.

He hated the fact that this would be the last time he saw Lillian. 

Or Yangyang, his fear still visible as he slept.

Redirecting his gaze forward, he felt Haechan breathing shakily behind him as they were handed guns by equally faceless men at the doors. 

Mark supposed that they wouldn’t actively be testing for Divergence, since they were all children. 

Children. There was no way that anyone under the age of 16 would be able to effectively disguise themself.

Mark swallowed nervously as he headed outside the building, the sunrise adding to his anxiety, for some reason. 

7 kids were going to die today. 

+++

“What do we do?” Haechan asked, eyes wide, as the large crowd dispersed in all directions, looking for the Divergents. 

“We have to get to them before the others do.” Mark answered shakily. The odds were not good. 

700 adults against 2 teenagers, in a desperate attempt to find and save 5 children? The odds were terrible.

“We’re looking for five. We have to split up, if we’re going to save anyone.” Hissed Haechan, and Mark felt his heart drop as he agreed. 

“I’ll do Amity and Candor, you do Erudite and Abnegation?” 

Haechan nodded. “We’ll meet back here.” He looked to his left, to where the sun was rising over the Hub.

“Okay.”

Okay. 

Mark sprinted to the Amity building.

+++

Like Dauntless, Amity housing was arranged by age and gender. 

Mark looked desperately in each room, circling around the entire complex twice before something moving caught his eye. 

He sped into the boys’ dorm, where he found that everyone was dead asleep, as they should be, except for one. 

Mark glanced under one of the beds, where a small boy sat.. Laughing? 

He was cackling, hysterical. Was this reaction formation? 

“Are you okay?” 

“Me?” The kid paused to snort. “I’m fine. I’m golden. You aren’t going to kill me, are you?” He looked comfortable, amused almost, shaking the light blonde hair out of his face, but there was a hint of fear tucked away in his eyes. 

Mark had nearly forgotten about the gun strapped to his back. “Of course not. I’m here to help you. We don’t have much time, you need to come with me.” 

“Okay, but why is everyone asleep and also why am I awake it’s like 1 AM- hey, what’s your name?”

Mark sighed, dragging the boy out into the hall by the arm. “It’s Mark. I’ll explain later. For now we need to-“ 

“I’m Chenle.” 

“-For now, when I tell you to run, we need to run. We’re looking for four other people, okay?” 

For once, Chenle didn’t ask a question. “Okay.” 

Mark looked out the door, still gripping the Amity boy’s wrist. The chaos showed no sign of stopping, but there could be a window for him to- 

“Run.” 

+++

They sprinted across to the Candor housing, successfully dodging the fire from two Erudite women, seemingly the only person who thought they looked suspicious. 

Considering that Chenle was dressed in the usual bright Amity colors, the lack of attention they received was not unwelcome, but somewhat strange. 

Mark pulled the boy into Candor headquarters. 

The moment they skidded into the center of the room, not one but four people stepped out from their respective hiding places, shooting from all directions at the two of them. 

Mark ducked reflexively, Chenle following a mere second after. It didn’t do much good. 

After a 0.01 second internal battle, Mark whipped out his own gun and shot all four. They all fell, despite his shaking hands as he took his aim.

Mark didn’t want to kill anyone, but they had to survive. 

He dragged the boy out of the room before the instant regret could hit. 

“Are you okay?” Mark murmured, glancing back and noticing one of the “soldiers” he had killed. 

Her hair, in long braids, was spread on the floor. 

He turned back around to Chenle, feeling slightly sick to his stomach. 

Seeing the Amity boy nodding made him feel slightly better. 

Noticing the streak of red on the side of his neck made him feel exponentially worse. 

“You’re bleeding.” 

“I am?” He asked, cocking his head and wincing slightly. “Oh. I didn’t notice.” Regarding the horrified expression on Mark’s face, he laughed. “Don’t worry it’s probably just a graze. I’ll be fine.” 

They found themselves in a hallway, doors on either side. 

Curse Candor’s individual family housing. 

Mark stopped short. If 16 years of life in Candor had taught him anything, it would be which apartments had kids and which didn’t.

Silently thanking his strangely good memory and Yangyang’s warnings, he began weaving in and out of each apartment. 

“What exactly are you looking for?” Asked Chenle, on Mark’s heels. 

“Other kids. Anyone who’s awake.” 

Chenle nodded, but Mark didn’t have much time to be amazed at the boy’s extremely high pain tolerance. 

Upon entering each apartment, Mark was greeted by at least one soldier who he had to quickly dodge. 

Chenle helped by kicking each one where it hurt and somehow managing to not receive a second bullet wound.

Mark felt panic rising in him with every door he pushed through, now holding his gun ready to attack. 

Each identical apartment, empty except for the occasional child curled up in the corner, through a fresh handful of memories into Mark’s brain. 

But he couldn’t linger. He didn’t have time. 

He pushed into the last apartment, making sure Chenle was behind him, and was startled by the fact that it seemed completely empty. 

No one standing ready to kill them. 

Mark nearly sprinted down the hall, careful to be quiet.

The memories were nearly suffocating at this point, but he lost all of his previous thoughts when he saw the scene in front of him. 

A child’s bedroom.

There stood a man, looking as though he was probably twice Mark’s height, eyes focused on a blanket strewn across the bed. 

He stopped in the doorway, making sure the man wouldn’t turn and see his face. 

The face, he realized with a start, that he hadn’t seen in six years. 

Mark despised everything about the current situation, but the fact that this was the first time he had seen his brother since his childhood, in this position just made it all worse. 

He craned his neck to see, pushing Chenle away when he attempted to do the same. 

Sure enough, the Erudite logo was emblazoned across his back. 

Mark’s eyes darted to the bed, where a single black blanket lay. 

He’d seen it before. 

He’d seen it all before.

If he was just passing by, he would just assume it was an unmade bed. 

But squinting, he saw it rising and falling unsteadily, to the rhythm of nervous breathing. 

Trust an Erudite- no, trust Johnny to notice something as small as that. 

The man slowly reached behind him for his gun, and Mark could hear Chenle’s breath catching from behind him. 

Think, think, think. Dauntless meant being able to get ideas under pressure, find solutions to problems. 

In the split second that it took Johnny to reach for the gun, Mark’s mind worked rapidly. If this was a Divergent, it would be his job to save them. 

His eyes involuntarily darted to the window beside the bed, occupying almost the whole wall, black curtains drawn halfway. 

Oh no. 

Maybe, maybe, if he’d had more time, he could come up with a more rational solution. 

But he knew he couldn’t take Johnny- never in a million years. 

And Mark could feel it in his blood, a barely discernible electrical buzz through his veins, that this was what had to be done. 

As Johnny removed the gun from its strap, Mark decided there was no more time for him to consider this. 

He wrapped his hand around Chenle’s wrist and raced forward, feeling his heart leap into his throat as he grabbed for the child, seeing the end of the gun in his peripheral vision. 

Mark tugged the child, limp with fear, to his chest as he threw himself forward into the glass, willing the infinite voices in his head to shut up. 

He heard the gunshot, glancing back momentarily as the louder noise of shattering glass filled his ears. 

The impact was as though they had jumped into a 10 foot thick wall of titanium. 

Mark, in any other situation, would have said “yeehaw”. 

But, see, they were all kind of about to die.

So now, he held both of the children close, praying to any and all gods above, and watching the ground get closer. 

And closer. 

Haechan would kill him if he died. 

+++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys have a fabulous day, thank you for reading this chapter! 
> 
> hahahahaha sorry


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is trash because schoolwork is catching up with me. i’m sorry :(
> 
> man fuck school i’d just write all day if i could

Okay, okay. We’re breaking the fourth wall for dramatic emphasis here. 

*clears throat*. Alright. Imagine yeeting yourself through a glass window 20 stories in the air with nothing to catch you. Now imagine it with screaming and running, and around 700 people with guns trying to kill you. Oh, and two teenagers.

Pretty fun, right? Now, dearest reader, add a wee bit of depression and extreme overall anxiety. 

Congratulations! You have yourself a Mark Lee. 

When Mark came to, everything felt hazy and surreal. 

He decided it was quite possible that he had suffered some considerable brain damage, considering the sensation of his mind slowly imploding, but then again, he was alive. 

Maybe it would have been better if he died, he wondered, shifting slightly and feeling searing pain in almost every part of his body. 

The power of the protagonist, he thought somewhat cynically. 

Mark shifted his still-slightly-unfocused line of vision upwards, searching for the two kids. 

Chenle was draped across him, facing the ground. As Mark was about to inquire as to his condition, he popped back up like nothing had happened, and even went so far as to grin before offering Mark a hand. 

Suffice it to say, the older boy was astounded. 

“How are you...” 

“Hmm?” 

“We just fell, like, 20 stories-“ 

“And?” 

Mark gave up, remembering that they only had seconds before people would notice them, and that there was still another child to be found. 

The black blanket blended in almost perfectly to the road, an effective method of camouflage. 

After struggling to his feet, Mark inched forward. He decided that prodding the lump would be rude- that is, if they were alive.

He prayed they were alive. 

Chenle, noticing Mark’s hesitation, marched forward. He bent down, and promptly screeched, “HEY!” into where he assumed the kid’s ear would be. 

Mark’s eyes widened as he clapped a hand over the Amity boy’s mouth, though the figure darted upright almost instantaneously, blanket falling away. 

Sure enough, the gazes of at least 20 people who had been rushing in and out of buildings were directed to the corner in which they were tucked away. 

He didn’t even have time to think as he sprinted, hoping Chenle was following, and doing his best to ignore the fact that every muscle in his body was shrieking in protest. 

They darted through the streets, ducking into an alley at the last moment. 

+++

Mark had given up on being inconspicuous. 

He frantically looked Chenle up and down, making sure that he’d avoided all the gunfire.

And that’s when the brain damage kicked in. 

“Mark?” Came a small voice from behind the two of them. 

The oldest boy felt his heart drop at the familiar voice, freezing in place.

This couldn’t be it. 

This was just his mind, deciding to fuck with him as payback for their previous fall. 

Right?

Mark turned away from Chenle, feeling a sob catch in his throat as he looked deep into the deadened eyes of his younger brother. 

Two Divergents from one family? Virtually impossible. 

The power of the protagonist.

“Jisung.”

The younger boy looked exceedingly tired, his face lacking it’s usual juvenescent glow. 

“Are you okay?” Mark managed, still unable to speak above a breathy whisper.

“I’m alive.” Came the equally quiet reply. “Though I’m not sure how long that’ll last.”

Chenle scoffed from behind them. “With that attitude..” 

“Would you rather I just pretended like we’re going to survive this whole thing?” Jisung murmured, and Mark was taken aback by his glare. 

Had he always been like this? 

Chenle crossed his arms, giving up. “There’s such a thing as being too Candor, Jisung.” He turned to Mark. “So, care to explain we’re here?” 

The older boy looked trapped between the two boys, who looked at each other with such an intense, burning hatred that it more than made up for the fact that they were both at least a head shorter than Mark. 

“We’ll explain soon.” He remained silent until he felt his Candor kick in. “How do you two even know each other?”

“School. We’re not.. The best of friends.” 

Jisung scoffed as Chenle attempted to regain his usual cheeriness. 

“I told him he was cute and he acted as though I’d kicked his dog or something. For the next three years.”

“It was because-“ 

“Wait. Keep your voices down.” Mark glanced out of the alley, realizing with a start that it been quite a while since he’d left Haechan nearby. 

His brain, still panic ridden, jumped to the worst case scenario outcome and he felt it becoming harder to breathe.

What if they were dead? 

Stay calm, stay calm. 

Mark glanced to Jisung and Chenle, who were watching him, obviously becoming worried at the older boy’s expression. 

“It’s okay.” He murmured to them, more assuring himself than anything.

He got ahead of himself, feeling his heart tug as he looked out of the alley, where the shooting was still going. 

Mark wondered what it was everyone was shooting at. After all, the three of them were right there. 

“They think we’re still outside.” Came a familiar voice that sent warmth through Mark’s body, accompanied by a few sets of feet landing heavily on the ground behind him.

He whipped around, not waiting for a second before wrapping Haechan in an extremely uncharacteristic hug. 

Feeling the other boy stiffen, Mark stepped back, whispering, “I thought you were dead.” 

The three other boys looked on in confusion. Two had their hands intertwined, their faces and tan tunics streaked with dirt and blood. The other looked utterly furious, but appeared spotless save for his pair of shattered glasses.

Mark noticed tears welling up in Haechan’s eyes, and he glanced down to the hole in his sleeve, dripping blood. 

How had he not noticed before?

“You’re bleeding.” 

“Wow, thanks for letting me know.” 

Chenle stepped forward, examining Haechan’s wound. Jisung followed, unsure of what to do.

“You’ll live.” Chenle smiled brightly up to the older boy, who looked utterly unamused.

“I appreciate the diagnosis...”

“Chenle. I’m almost 14!” He chirped, reminding Mark too much of Yangyang.

Haechan’s expression softened, slowly realizing how young the others were. He shot Mark a nervous glance. 

Mark returned it, always helpful. 

“And who’s this?” Haechan gestured to the smallest of the boys, still hiding behind Chenle. 

Mark felt his own heart sink. “This is Jisung. My brother.” 

Haechan looked horrified as he turned to Mark, who remained numb. 

He knew it was because they were all going to die, someway or another. 

Jisung stepped forward, eyes filled with a steely confidence that Mark had never seen from the 13-year-old before.

“What’s the plan?” 

The older of the two boys who Mark had assumed were Abnegation straightened up. 

“Well, where’s the safest place in the city?” 

“Dauntless.” Replied Broken Glasses Boy, not allowing Mark or Haechan to get a word in. 

“How far is that from here?” Asked the other Abnegation boy, eyes darting between the other six nervously. 

“A few blocks.” Mark finally managed, hand reaching up to fiddle mindlessly with his gun. 

Noticing Haechan’s glare, he immediately stopped. 

Chenle clasped his hands together, pretending not to notice each of the six terrified glances he got in response. 

“Lovely!” 

Jisung pursed his lips. 

“I suppose we’re running?” 

“And not dying?” The youngest boy looked skeptical. 

“Do we have another option?” Haechan deadpanned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, thank you! i promise the next chapter will be more eventful!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome back! i stayed up all night writing this and KIND OF PROOFREAD! this is where things start getting a little violent, but the next chapter is where it.. you know. anyway, enjoy this chapter!

“Maybe travelling all together is not the smartest idea.” Haechan murmured, guiding the five children behind him in an almost maternal manner. 

“Maybe not.” 

Mark would have been an idiot if he didn’t know that there was no way for them to safely pass all of the two hundred people currently gathered outside to kill them. 

They ran, a loud ringing creeping into Mark’s ears. Some part of him had still not accepted that this was happening. 

He and Haechan had their guns out, shooting whenever anyone came close. 

Mark felt something hot graze by his ear, burning. He spun around and fired, glancing down to make sure Jisung and Chenle were ok. 

He looked back up just in time to see Lucas fall. 

It took a moment for Mark to process what he’d just seen.

Feeling panicked tears welling up in his eyes, he kept going, grabbing Jisung by the arm when he tried to look back. 

“What happened?” Jisung asked as the seven of them turned into a narrow path between two buildings. 

“Nothing.” 

He’d killed his brother. 

The boy with the glasses noticed that the school was nearby, and they’d be able to rest there for a while. 

Mark had no idea how safe that was, but ushered them all in at Haechan’s nod. 

After they’d settled in a small classroom, one of the smaller boys spoke up. 

“Wait. Where’s Jeno?” 

Mark could only assume that Jeno was the older of the two Abnegation boys, who was nowhere to be seen. 

He made eye contact with Haechan, and the two of them stood up. “It’s ok.” Haechan murmured to the Abnegation boy, who quickly stood up. 

“No. I’ll find him.” 

“Jaemin, sit the fuck back down.” Broken Glasses Boy scoffed, ignoring the glare he received. “You’ll get yourself killed. They know what they’re doing.” He nodded to the Dauntless boys. 

Mark gulped. Thank you for the confidence, but I actually have no idea, he thought. 

Jaemin sat back down, covering his tear streaked face with his hands to ignore the judgmental look he got from Jisung and Broken Glasses Boy. 

Poor Chenle seemed to be somewhat behind. “Wait, who’s Jeno?” Mark heard him ask as they made their way down the stairwell. 

+++

“Hold on.” Haechan said, stopping Mark just before the door by placing a hand to his chest. 

“What?” 

“Stay here.” He replied softly, avoiding eye contact. 

Mark frowned. “Hey, wh-“ 

“I saw what you did.” Haechan murmured, looking up. Mark deflated ever so slightly.  
“I don’t think you need to see many dead people right now.” 

Mark sighed. “I’m going to, either way. I’m fine. Really.” 

Haechan rolled his eyes. “Would you stop being so stubborn for once and listen? You can’t just ‘be okay’ after that.” 

“I’m-“ 

“Yes, I know. But every second that we spend arguing about this is one more second that that kid is out there, probably dying.” 

That shut Mark up. “But what if something happens to you? You’re already hurt.” He whispered, looking at the ground. 

“Seriously? Who’s more important, me or those kids?” Haechan didn’t let Mark answer, reaching for his gun as he pushed through the door. 

+++

Haechan had meant well, but Mark was now forced to sit among the four other children, heart slowly sinking with every passing second as the reality of their situation sank in. 

Every now and then, he’d catch Chenle staring at him, concerned. He’d shoot back a fake smile that probably looked more like a grimace, and let his eyes wander. 

The sun was starting to stream through the windows, giving the room the illusion of life and happiness. 

Mark didn’t know when it would end. Would it just keep going until all of them were dead?

He nearly shuddered at the thought. Seeing the dry blood that had dripped down Chenle’s neck to the collar of his shirt, the long, jagged cut across Jisung’s cheek, the way Jaemin’s tears washed narrow paths though the layer of blood and grime on his face, and the perpetually pained expression on the face of the boy with the glasses, Mark closed his eyes.

Maybe, by some happy miracle, it would be over soon. 

As he closed his eyes, the sight of Lucas crumpling to the ground replayed in his brain. 

Mark had done this. It was his fault. 

And now, he was worried about Haechan with his bleeding arm, his brain automatically assuming that he was dying somewhere too.

He should have insisted on going with him. 

Then, they could have died together. 

Mark worried about Jeno. He imagined it must be so terribly hard on Jaemin, who was already in such bad shape. 

The seconds ticked by, turning into minutes of silence, a constant fear hanging in the air between them. 

And then Mark heard heavy breathing, the sound of shoes skidding across the floor, and he whipped around. 

He’d never been happier to see Haechan materializing yet again out of thin air. 

Mark rushed forward to wrap his arms around the other boy, careful of his wound, and feeling his body shaking. 

He broke away and looked at him in silent question. 

Haechan shook his head slowly. 

Mark felt a pit in his stomach, guilt washing in waves over the both of them. 

His eyes flicked to Jaemin and the other boy, still sitting on the floor. 

The boy with the glasses seemed to go sheet white at Mark’s glance, suddenly bolting upright and grabbing the older boy’s gun right off of him. 

“Renjun!” Haechan shouted, terror in his voice as the smaller boy darted out the door. 

Mark instinctively followed, looking back at Haechan with an apologetic expression as he realized that the other boy now had to break the news to Jaemin on his own. 

He sprinted down the stairs, following Renjun. The boy, who Mark now recognized as Erudite, was too fast. 

Renjun spun into a classroom near the entrance of the building, and Mark heard gunfire as he pushed through the door. 

His mind took a second to process what he was seeing. 

The Erudite boy stood frozen, pointing his gun at a figure who was slumped against the wall, shot multiple times. 

Mark rushed forward to see who it was. 

It was like the universe was doing this just to spite Mark, forcing him to see all the people he loved dead. 

Of course, that was an awfully selfish way to think about it, he reasoned as he knelt down, meeting Ten’s pained eyes. 

They remained soft and tear-filled for merely a moment before going steely and cold, an expression that looked so unlike his best friend that Mark was taken aback. 

He was met by a gun pointed directly at his forehead. 

He heard Ten hiss, “Just because I’m dying doesn’t mean I can’t kill you.” This was accompanied by the very familiar sound of Mark’s own heart breaking. 

Mark forced himself to grab Renjun and run, leaving his childhood behind to die.

+++ 

When they got back to the room, Mark had found Haechan kneeling in front of Jaemin. 

He found that he was just in time to see the light disappear from the Abnegation boy’s eyes as he came to realize what had happened. 

Renjun dropped almost immediately to his knees, letting Jaemin grab fistfuls of his shirt as he shook with silent sobs. 

Mark felt himself finally cracking. He walked to the corner of the room in silence, turning back and feeling his heart tug at the sight of Chenle scooting across the floor to wrap his arms around Jaemin, almost brotherly. 

He looked back out the window at the chaos below, not wanting to blink for fear of seeing it again, as though it was replaying on his eyelids. 

Lucas falling. Jeno lying dead in a street. The pain in Ten’s eyes. 

Upon closing his eyes to accept his punishment, Mark felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“You should get that looked at.” He whispered to Haechan, who’s injured arm lay limp by his side. 

“By who?” He snorted. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” 

Mark nodded, turning back to the glass. 

“Mark.” 

“Hm?” 

“I...” Haechan trailed off, waiting for Mark to look at him. “I killed Taeyong.” He whispered. 

Mark felt another pang of.. something. But noticing the tears in Haechan’s usually twinkling eyes, threatening to spill over, he decided to put that aside. 

He saw that the other four were now huddled together. Mark imagined a forcefield over them, protecting their shaking bodies from the violence outside. 

And then he realized that it was too late. 

Haechan buried his head in Mark’s chest, and Mark let him. 

They were brave once. 

+++

“Renjun.” Mark murmured, but it was quiet enough in the room for him to hear. 

The Erudite boy stood up, taking his place on the ground next to Mark. He remained silent. 

“How did you know?”

“Hmm?”

“How did you know about T- the Amity downstairs?”

Renjun paused to look down, then looked back up. His eyes darted between Mark and Haechan. 

“I see things sometimes.” He paused. “It’s usually only a minute or two before it happens, but I get these kinds of feelings. It’s not very useful.” 

Mark felt Haechan tense next to him as realization washed over them. There was a moment of silence before Renjun began again. 

“Is my brother safe?” Upon receiving no reply, his voice shot up about an octave. “Yangyang. Is he safe?” 

Mark nodded yes, hoping it was true. He was unsure of what had happened to all the other children.

“Why are you not wearing your uniform?” Haechan asked, perplexed. 

Renjun relaxed a bit. “I decided there was no use trying to mimic everyone else if you can’t act at all. I just hid.” 

“I’m aware.” In response to Mark’s confusion, Haechan sighed. “He somehow managed to strap himself to the underside of his bed.” 

Renjun smiled weakly, turning back to the group in the center of the room. 

Mark followed his gaze. 

Jisung and Chenle seemed to be speaking animatedly about something, while Jaemin watched with something that looked quite similar to pride. He turned, smiling tiredly to Renjun. 

Mark considered asking how they knew each other, just to pass the time until it was light enough to run, but he quickly realized that that may stir up some unpleasant memories. 

“School.” Renjun muttered as soon as the thought left Mark’s mind. “We met at school.” Haechan appeared pensive. “We were the best of friends, the three of us.” Renjun breathed, appearing to have suddenly developed a level of self-consciousness. “I saw what they were like, and stepped aside.” 

Mark remained quiet, wondering what it must be like. Then, he realized, he knew. Why did he feel nothing, even after seeing both his best friend and his brother die right before him? 

Renjun scooted back to the center in silence.

+++

“You know,” Mark turned at the sound of Haechan’s voice. “There’s a lot of stuff I want to say before we die.” 

“We’re not going to die.” Mark replied without thinking.

The group in the center had raised their voices to regular speaking volume at this point, so the two of them could really not be heard by anyone but each other. 

Haechan seemed to ignore Mark’s comment. “Is it crazy that we only met a few days ago?” 

“Maybe a little bit.” He whispered in response. 

“I feel things and I don’t like it.” 

Mark smiled sadly at that. “Why not?” 

“Because you, sir, are not the only one guilty of falling in love too easily.” Haechan met his eyes, exhaling deeply. “And now I may not ever see you again after today-“ 

“Because I’ll be dead?” 

“Or I’ll be dead. One of us will be dead. Maybe, if we’re lucky, both of us will be.” Haechan laughed mirthlessly. 

“If we’re going to die, I want to die together.” Mark laced his fingers with Haechan’s, watching a single tear travel down his face before he quickly wiped it away.

“And why’s that?” 

“Perhaps I’ve been harboring an intense crush on you since the day we met.” 

“Is that so?” Haechan smiled softly, leaning upwards to brush his lips to Mark’s. “What a coincidence.” 

+++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry about all the deaths- next chapter coming soon thank you for reading! and yes, i know this chapter really fluctuated- i’m like weird that way~


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again! so.. i’d have to start with some warnings. this chapter is really where all the “author chose not to use archive warnings” shit comes into play. there will be quite a bit of violence and death in this chapter. if you feel uncomfortable, please don’t force yourself to read this, because this will definitely be upsetting to some readers. side note: this chapter moves really fast and i didn’t realize it until now, so i apologize! once again, i’d like to thank all of you for sticking with me this far and reading this fic! we’ve come so far.

The distance to Dauntless headquarters was not a long one, but it felt as though they were running in slow motion through the nearly deserted alleyways. 

Mark hated that dodging bullets had so quickly become second nature to him, just over the course of the last few hours. 

They were not too far from Dauntless when a desperate “Mark!” cut through the air. 

Mark whipped around, pushing Haechan forward to try to tell him to get Renjun and Jaemin to safety as he began to sprint back. 

The first thing Mark noticed as he approached the brick building was the blood, pooling on the ground. Chenle’s body was on the verge of going limp, propped up against the wall. 

“Mark, I don’t know what to do-“ He turned, seeing that Jisung’s hands were covered in the dark red liquid, and it was smeared across his face. 

“Don’t do anything.” Chenle whispered, a soft smile across his face even now. 

“Wait, I’ll-“ 

“Mark, it’s okay.” Chenle’s breaths slowly got more and more ragged as Jisung’s eyes widened with fear.

“No, we have to-“ 

“Jisung.” 

The youngest boy was cut off, and was left with nothing to do but to stare quietly into the glistening eyes of his dying classmate. 

“You know, I’d like t-“ 

“Don’t waste your energy.” Mark attempted to say, but was immediately silenced by a still- grinning Chenle.

“I’d like to die like this.” 

Jisung’s voice shook as tears began to spill down his cheeks. “Why’s that?” He knew there was nothing that could be done, but he still seemed so helpless.

Chenle remained quiet, reaching up to tuck a lock of Jisung’s hair behind his ear, pursing his lips at the streak of blood he had left behind. 

He smiled weakly. 

“The last thing I’ll ever see is the most beautiful boy in the world.” 

“N-no.” Jisung breathed, watching Chenle’s eyes flutter closed as he went completely still. “No. Wait.” He repeated, frozen on his hands and knees in the pool of blood. “Hey. Wake up.” He clapped once in front of Chenle’s face. 

“Wake up!” 

“Jisung-“ Mark knelt down, attempting to pull his brother away as he tried to ignore the guilt tugging at him in all directions, making him want to vomit out his insides and curl up to die right next to the ever- smiling boy. 

Jisung fought him off, leaving blood on Mark’s uniform as he pushed him away. “Let me die here. Let me die here with him.” 

“Jisung.” Mark repeated, unable to say anything else. 

“Chenle!” Screeched Jisung, hysterical as he grabbed at the dead boy’s shoulders, trying to shake him awake. “This isn’t funny! Get up!” 

Mark flinched. 

“Hey! Wake up, princess! Here’s your fucking kiss-“ Jisung pressed his mouth to Chenle’s, tears streaming down his face. “Get the fuck up, you-“ 

“Jisung, please.” Mark breathed, breaking inside as he leaned down to pull his brother off the ground. 

“You want me to just leave him here?” Shouted Jisung, standing up. 

Mark felt tears trailing down his own face as he looked his brother dead in the eye. “I’m sorry.” 

“You didn’t kill him.” Jisung whispered back, squeezing his eyes shut. He was trying so hard to be strong. 

Mark said nothing, chastising himself for how weak he was, for not doing anything.

Jisung wiped at his face with the back of his hand, taking a deep breath as he looked back at the Amity boy one final time. “Let’s go.” He breathed.

+++

When the two of them arrived at where the others were congregated at the Pit, they were met with a plethora of questions and much concern at the fact that Jisung was almost covered in blood.

As Renjun and Jaemin busied themselves with taking care of a still-shaking Jisung, Haechan approached Mark. 

He paused to look around. “Where’s Chenle?” 

Mark swallowed, shaking his head slowly as Haechan had done before. 

He heard the other boy inhale sharply. 

So many people had died today, and it was all because of Mark. He could have done something to save them- he should have. Even if it meant his own death. 

Haechan nodded numbly. 

“Guys.” Renjun said suddenly, his eyes widening. “Guys, we have to-“ 

The sound of gunshots cut through the air again. 

Mark glanced at Renjun. “Too many.” He heard the Erudite boy whisper. “We have to go now.”

“Where?” Jaemin asked desperately. 

Renjun gestured around. “Somewhere! Just not here!” 

As the gunshot sounds became closer and closer, Mark saw Renjun out of the corner of his eye, darting out through the halls. He followed, accepting that they had no other option. 

“Come on!” Mark shouted to the others, who weren’t far behind. 

+++

Renjun led them up a conveniently hidden staircase to the roof of the building. 

“Where are we going?” Mark heard Jisung ask. 

“They can’t get us up here.” Jaemin replied. Mark hoped he was right. 

They sprinted across the flat top of the building, following Renjun’s lead as he expertly leapt from rooftop to rooftop. 

The gunfire was still persistent from below, but they had to get far away from Dauntless if it had already been infiltrated. 

So much for the safest place in the city. 

The five of them had just landed on the gravel roof of a building that seemed to go on for miles when Renjun whipped around, panic-stricken. 

“Haechan!” His cry pierced through the air, and Mark realized what was happening before anyone else did. 

They had 60 seconds until Haechan died. 

Mark turned around, mind working at warp speed as he saw a figure appearing from a trapdoor behind them. 

He stopped short, rushing in the opposite direction to find Haechan as he gestured for Jaemin and Jisung to keep going. 

As the figure fully emerged, taking his aim, Mark dove. 

It was as if it happened in slow motion, a stark contrast to the frenzied chaos of the night before. 

Mark felt his body colliding with Haechan’s, seeing the perplexed expression on the other boy’s face as he pushed him out of the way. 

He heard the gun firing only an instant before he fired his own, the brief sense of victory when he saw his opponent fall quickly cut off by the immediate weakness he felt. 

He saw Haechan turn, eyes wide as Mark felt himself losing control of his own body, falling for what seemed like an eternity. 

He watched the boy rush to where the other children were gathered, speaking rapidly and shoving his own gun into Renjun’s arms.

Haechan turned back around as the other three kept running. 

The pain kicked in exactly as Haechan dropped to his knees before Mark, sending him hurtling back into real time, the sound of the chaos below ringing in his ears once again.

Only after seeing the fear on the other boy’s face, so reminiscent of Jisung’s only a few minutes ago, did Mark realize he was dying. 

He glanced down to where he felt his uniform growing warm and sticky, the blood shimmering ever so slightly. 

Mark felt his breathing getting slightly harder as he looked back up to Haechan. 

“You should have gone with them.” 

Haechan only shook his head in response, and Mark was close enough to see the tears in his eyes. 

“I’m serious. Who’s more important, me or them?” 

“Renjun has my gun. He knows what he’s doing. I’m going to stay here u-“ Haechan stopped abruptly, glancing downwards guiltily. “I’ll get-“ 

“There’s nothing you can do.” Mark felt his throat starting to close up, but ignored it.

Instead, he looked back up to other boy’s face, now streaked with a few stray tears, his hair falling into his face. The sun had just begun to rise behind him, painting a vast array of oranges and pinks across the sky. 

Sadness looked so unbecoming on Haechan’s gentle face, so unsettling to Mark that he forced himself to reach up weakly, wiping away the tears. 

“Hey. Don’t cry. It’s okay.” He tried not to focus on the pain in his side that was intensifying with every passing moment- searing, burning, cutting into him, but still strangely liberating. 

So this is how I’ll die, he thought. Mark looked back up to the sunrise, splashed across the sky like a heavenly painting, and Haechan, still managing to look ethereal as his face contorted with a silent sob.

“Strange to think we only met a few days ago.” Mark whispered, feeling Haechan burying his face in his shoulder and inhaling the other boy’s comforting scent of sandalwood.

He focused his gaze on the sun peeking out from above the tops of the buildings around him, still smiling softly as he felt tears stinging his own eyes. 

“Don’t worry. It’s okay.” 

+++

When Mark closed his eyes, he still saw Lucas, Jeno, and Ten. But now, they weren’t lying dead. 

They were simply standing before him, warm and welcoming. 

Mark took a step forward in his mind, inhaling sharply at the sight of them. He glanced guiltily at Lucas, who just shook his head and grinned. 

“You’ve fought well, initiate.” 

He nearly jumped at the voice, but he turned around, seeing Taeyong with a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. Mark, unsure of what to say, smiled in response.

Mark’s eyes quickly flicked downward when he felt arms wrapping around him. He felt his heart tug as he looked into Chenle’s grinning face. 

Mark wrapped an arm around the smaller boy and felt somebody intertwining their fingers with his. 

Ten smirked up at him, and Mark felt tears pricking his eyes again. 

Jeno smiled a glowing smile before being pulled into the hug by Chenle. 

The only one who was left behind was Lucas, who looked on wistfully.

“I’m proud of you.” He reached down to playfully ruffle Mark’s hair. 

Mark could barely hold back his tears. “I’m so sorry to all of you.” He murmured, staring at the ground. 

“Hey. It’s okay. Don’t worry.” 

Mark nodded numbly and smiled, looking back once again. 

Tonight was the night. 

Mark was ready. 

+++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all. make sure to take care of yourself today and remember that you matter ♥︎


End file.
